Made possible by funding from the

Department of Health and Human Services

and Get Healthy Philly, an initiative of the

Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

Philadelphia’s Healthy Corner Store Initiative

2010–2012

Executive Summary 3

Introduction and Background 4

Get Healthy Philly’s Healthy Corner Store Initiative 6

2010–2012 Accomplishments 10

Challenges and Identified Solutions 12

Lessons Learned 13

On the Horizon 14

Appendices 15

Contact 24

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS · 2

The Food Trust, a nationally recognized nonprofit, has developed the Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store Network, a citywide network of 600-plus corner stores committed to improving healthy food access in underserved communities. The Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store Network is part of the Healthy Corner Store Initiative, which works in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) and their Get Healthy Philly initiative. Each corner store in the network added a minimum of four new products with at least two healthy products in at least two food categories including: fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats and whole grains. Throughthe Healthy Corner Store Initiative, stores in the network have received marketing materials, training and, in some cases, equipment to transform the businesses into health-promoting food retailers.

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

1. Partnering with corner stores can be an effective strategy to improve healthy food access in underserved communities. Store owners have positively responded to the initiative, expressing a concern for the health of the communities they serve and a belief that selling healthy foods can be profitable. Over 600 Philadelphia corner store owners committed to selling healthy products and 83% of stores met basic participation requirements.

2. Corner store owners are willing to introduce healthy inventory, but they need support and simple steps to follow. Asking store owners to make small, gradual changes and giving them simple steps to follow can help overcome the challenge of introducing new inventory and taking on new risk. To build profitability and sustainability, training on selling healthy, perishable products was provided to many store owners. Over 480 hours of training were provided to store owners with 80% of store owners accepting at least one training, demonstrating a strong interest from store owners in learning how to profitably sell healthy products.

3. Making small investments in equipment for corner storescan significantly increase the stores’ capacity to sell healthy products. Corner stores often lack the equipment to stock perishable goods, although typically this equipment does not require large investments or renovations in order to accommodate new products. As part of the initiative, 100 customized conversions—infrastructural changes such as shelving and small refrigeration units—were completed, successfully expanding each store’s inventory of healthy products. On average, each conversion cost $1,390. The average conversion store introduced 44 new healthy products, almost half of which were fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Healthy Corner Store Initiative is a successful model for increasing the availability of healthy food in corner stores by identifying a continuum of readiness for store changes; it is achieving measurable results. The Healthy Corner Store Initiative builds relationships with store owners and asks them to make gradual changes with support and training. With this assistance, store owners are willing to sell healthy products and believe these changes can be sustainable and profitable.

Executive Summary

By building relationships with store

owners and asking them to make

gradual changes with support and

training, the Healthy Corner Store

Initiative has found that store owners

are willing to sell healthy products

and that these changes can be

sustainable and profitable.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY · 3

Introduction and Background

WHAT IS THE HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE?

In Philadelphia, corner stores are a ubiquitous part of the urban landscape. In communities that lack supermarkets, families depend on these stores for food purchases, but most of these stores sell packaged foods with few healthy options1. In 2004, The Food Trust created the Healthy Corner Store Initiative to motivate youth and adults to purchase healthier items through classroom education and direct marketing in the corner stores.

This work grew out of The Food Trust’s School Nutrition Policy Initiative (SNPI), a school-based nutrition education and policy program implemented in Philadelphia from 2002 through 2005. SNPI combined nutrition education with improvements in the schools’ food environments; evaluation showed that the multifaceted initiative reduced the incidence of childhood overweight by 50%2.

However, SNPI did not address the food environment surrounding the schools, where corner stores are prevalent. A study conducted in 2007 by Temple University’s Center for Obesity Research and Education and The Food Trust found that3:

• On average, students were spending $1.07 per visit and consuming 356 calories in snack and beverages per purchase.• 53% of youth reported shopping in corner stores at least once a day.

In the years following The Food Trust’s initial pilot project in 2004, the Healthy Corner Store Initiative grew steadily and substantially, working to increase the availability and awareness of healthy foods in corner stores in Philadelphia through a multifaceted approach including:

• Increasing store capacity to sell and market healthy items in order to improve healthy options in communities• Training and offering technical assistance to store owners to provide the skills to make healthy changes profitable• Marketing healthy messages to youth and adults to encourage healthy eating choices• Educating youth in schools near targeted corner stores to reinforce healthy messages and provide nutrition education through the Snackin’ Fresh program• Linking corner store owners to community partners, local farmers and fresh food suppliers to create and sustain healthy corner stores.

HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE & GET HEALTHY PHILLY

In 2010, the Healthy Corner Store Initiative became a part of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Get Healthy Philly initiative, a two-year $15 million cooperative agreement to promote nutrition and increase physical activity funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In partnership with Get Healthy Philly, the initiative expanded the Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store Network from 40 to more than 600 corner stores and introduced trainings, marketing materials and other resources to assist corner stores to stock and promote more healthful foods, providing city residents greater access to healthy foods in their communities.

CORNER STORE DEFINITION

While there is no universal definition for corner stores, The Food Trust defines corner stores as having:• Less than 2,000 square feet• Four aisles or less• One cash register

Stores that meet the criteria outlined above are eligible to participate in the Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store Network and access the initiative’s resources and technical support.

PHASE

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND · 4

TARGET NEIGHBORHOODS

The Healthy Corner Store Initiative and Get Healthy Philly target Philadelphia zip codes with the lowest income by U.S. census data. Of the 25 targeted high priority zip codes, tier 1 represents the highest poverty, followed by tier 2 and tier 3, which is illustrated in the map below. 92% of participating corner stores are located in the 25 targeted high-priority zip codes.

Tier 1: Lower North, North, Riverwards, West, University/SouthwestTier 2: West Park, Lower Northeast, portions of Upper North, Central, South, Lower SouthTier 3: Lower Northwest, portions of Upper North

These neighborhoods suffer from the highest rates of obesity and diabetes and the lowest access to healthy foods. The majority of stores in the network are located in tier 1 (48%), tier 2 (37%) or tier 3 (7%).

High-Priority Philadelphia Zip Codes

Legend

n Tier 1

n Tier 2

n Tier 3

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND · 5

To enroll more than 600 corner stores into the Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store Network, a process of mapping, outreach and marketing was developed. Stores were initially assessed for their readiness to introduce healthy products and progressed from levels of basic change to higher levels of change through owner participation in trainings on business management and the profitable sale of healthy foods. One hundred stores were eligible to apply for a customized mini-conversion, including refrigeration and shelving, to expand their inventory of healthy products.

STORE RECRUITMENT & SELECTION

Stores were identified using a list of SNAP- and WIC-certified businesses and street canvassing by The Food Trust staff as well as through print materials and radio advertisements (Appendix A) throughout the city. In Philadelphia, approximately 1,500 stores are eligible for enrollment based on the corner store definition (page 3). Selected stores agreed to the activities listed below and signed a memorandum of understanding to formally participate in the program. The majority of store recruitment into the Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store Network occurred in the first six months of the Get Healthy Philly initiative (April–September 2010), with additional stores joining the network on a rolling basis.

IN-STORE ACTIVITIES

Stores progress from a level of basic change, in which they introduce four new healthy products (Phase 1) and implement a Healthy Food Identification marketing campaign (Phase 2), to owner participation in training on business management and the profitable sale of healthy perishable foods (Phase 3). The highest level of change is a customized conversion to help expand a store’s inventory of healthy products (Phase 4).

Phase 1: Inventory Changes

Store owners choose from a list of qualifying products (Appendix B) and have approximately three months to begin stocking and selling new healthy products from time of enrollment.

Phase 2: Healthy Food Identification Marketing Campaign

Store owners display a series of marketing materials, available in English, Spanish or Korean, in their store from the Healthy Food Identification marketing campaign (Appendix C).

Messages are designed to: • Guide customers towards making healthier decisions at the point-of-purchase • Increase awareness of healthy foods in corner stores• Identify a corner store as a participating member of the Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store Network

Get Healthy Philly’sHealthy Corner Store Initiative

GET HEALTHY PHILLY’S HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE · 6

Corner Store Phases & Activities

CHARACTERISTICS

Introduce 4 new healthy products: 2 products from 2 healthy categories

Display a series of marketing materials from the Healthy Food Identification marketing campaign Participation in at least one training on selling healthy products and business management

Equipment to stock and display healthy products

BENEFITS & INCENTIVES

• $100 participation incentive

• Increase customer awareness• Promote new healthy products

• Free training and support• Increase profits• Reduce food waste

• Free equipment (shelving, refrigeration, display materials)• Free training and support• Assistance with product selection and sourcing

PHASE

1 Inventory Changes

2 Healthy Food Identification Campaign

3 Business Training for Owners

4 Conversions

Additional marketing materials were developed in English and Spanish to further promote healthy eating (Appendix C). Recipe cards feature recipes that can be made from healthy products available in corner stores to feed a family of four for approximately five dollars, including an avocado and white bean wrap, broccoli and cheddar bake and build-your-own sundae. “Get Healthy! Cards” provide customers with easy tips for shopping, eating and living healthy. All materials are displayed in corner stores and are free for customers.

Once owners successfully implement the new healthy products and in-store marketing campaign, they receive a $100 incentive check for each year of participation.

Phase 3: Training

In order to provide store owners with the resources and support to implement and maintain healthy changes for the long term and in a profitable, low-risk manner, The Food Trust offers the following to all participating store owners in the network:

• Basic introductory in-store training explaining how the new marketing campaign promotes the new products they are selling• Suggestions for how to organize and display products to highlight the healthier options• Assistance with product sourcing or selection to increase healthy inventory• Advanced one-on-one trainings on selling healthy products and basic business management, based on a training needs assessment, to help owners overcome challenges, enhance current efforts and achieve business goals

During the advanced one-on-one trainings, store owners are given a “Sell Healthy! Guide,” which provides them with useful information on how to sell healthy foods, increase sales and attract more customers to increase profits. The main themes in the guide are product selection and display, pricing and

promotions and store appearance, which were targeted as main areas for business development based on feedback from store owners. Store owners are also given information on small business lenders, how to apply for a loan and steps for becoming WIC or SNAP vendors.

Phase 4: Mini-Conversions

A subset of corner stores receives conversions (investments ranging between $1,000 and $5,000) to help stock and display fresh produce and other healthy products. Capital investments are determined by each store’s individual needs and business plan.

Store owners receiving conversions must sign a memorandum of understanding stating that they will only stock and sell healthy items with the new equipment.

Stores are selected for conversions if: • The store introduces and maintains at least four new healthy products and the Healthy Food Identification marketing campaign• The owner shows strong interest in selling additional healthy products and improving business• The store has strong conversion potential (Appendix D) based on foot traffic, store maintenance and other readiness qualities• The store owner is willing to complete a business plan

Conversions include: • Modest infrastructural changes such as shelving and small refrigeration units (Appendix E) that focus on creating an area of the store to display produce and other healthy products• Additional training on selling healthy products and business management to ensure changes are sustainable and easy to maintain by store staff over the long term

GET HEALTHY PHILLY’S HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE · 7

Through Get Healthy Philly, a store is prioritized for conversion selection if: • It is located in a targeted lower-income neighborhood with no or low-to-moderate access to healthy food• It has one or fewer violations for tobacco sales to minors• It is located near community resources such as schools, recreation centers and other public spaces• It is SNAP- or WIC-certified

During and after a store receives a conversion, the owners are provided with series of trainings on produce display, sourcing, pricing and other skills to ensure the new inventory is profitable and sustainable long term. Post-conversion, stores are visited every other month to provide additional training and support, verify that the store is using the equipment for only healthy products and determine whether a store is ready to further expand its healthy offerings with additional equipment.

Philadelphia Healthy Corner Stores as of March 13, 2012

Legend

● Healthy Corner Stores

★ Conversion Corner Stores

Zip Codes

n Fairmount Park

GET HEALTHY PHILLY’S HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE · 8

PROCUREMENT STRATEGIES

To help stores source and stock healthy food items, The Food Trust staff:• Identifies and shares information about informal produce distribution networks with competitive pricing and willingness to provide smaller quantities at wholesale prices• Identifies and shares information on produce wholesale markets. This generates additional business for the produce markets and allows store owners to negotiate cheaper prices through increased buying power• Connects urban gardens with neighborhood corner stores as a market opportunity for the gardens’ products

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS

The Healthy Corner Store Initiative links corner stores with local community organizations to promote healthy changes among residents and community organizations. The project has reached out to over 30 neighborhood and citywide organizations (Appendix F) to determine areas for collaboration and ways to enhance corner store and community efforts.

Nutrition education programs provided in schools and after-school sites for students and parents, along with citywide media and messaging and other efforts to increase access to healthy options, support individuals and families in changing their diets to include healthier choices.

ENHANCED EVALUATION

In September 2010, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health received supplemental funding to enhance evaluation efforts around corner stores and schools. PDPH partnered with nationally renowned obesity prevention researchers Dr. Gary Foster, Director, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, and Dr. Karen Glanz, Director, Center for Health Behavior and Research, University of Pennsylvania to carry out the evaluation, which assesses individual and environmental impacts of the corner store intervention. The overall design of the evaluation is a pre-post assessment of store (nutrition) environments and also includes comparison between basic and conversion stores over time. Primary goals of the evaluation include the following: • Evaluate the availability, quality and price of healthy and less healthy foods in 200 corner stores, using an adaptation of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores (NEMS-S)• Assess consumer buying behaviors outside of 200 corner stores to determine type, number, caloric content and cost of purchasesResults of the study are expected to be released in 2012.

MEDIA

Between July 2010 and July 2012, the Healthy Corner Store Initiative was featured in 29 different local, national and international media articles, radio and TV programs and case studies (Appendix G), including the New York Times, NPR’s All Things Considered and the Washington Post. The articles have raised awareness of the lack of affordable, healthy foods in lower-income communities and the potential that working with corner stores can have as a strategy in helping to solve this problem. This media coverage has caught the attention of many different nonprofits, government officials, researchers, economic development organizations and community-based organizations, demonstrating a growing interest in engaging corner stores as a partner in improving healthy food access.

Between July 2010 and July 2012,

the Healthy Corner Store Initiative

was featured in 29 different local,

national and international media

articles, radio and TV programs and

case studies, including the New York

Times, NPR’s All Things Considered

and the Washington Post.

GET HEALTHY PHILLY’S HEALTHY CORNER STORE INITIATIVE · 9

2010–2012 Accomplishments

Since April 2010, Get Healthy Philly’s Healthy Corner Store Initiative has accomplished the following:

STORE OWNER ENGAGEMENT

Store owners were receptive to participating in the Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store Network and recognized the potential to grow their business and increase profits by adding new, healthier inventory.

• Over 2,000 locations were visited to identify potential corner stores during recruitment and selection

• Over 600 stores committed to providing healthier food options for customers

INVENTORY CHANGES

With a small incentive and guidance on how to identify and source new products, participating stores introduced a wide variety of new healthy products.

• 83% of enrolled stores introduced four or more new healthy products and marketing materials: » 90% introduced at least one fruit or vegetable item » 73% introduced at least one low-fat dairy product » 84% introduced at least one whole grain product » 82% introduced at least one healthy beverage or snack

• On average, stores at the basic level of participation introduced 36 new healthy products, which is above the minimum four required at the basic level of participation

• Citywide, a cumulative total of over 18,000 new healthy products were added to corner stores across all stores participating at the basic level of change

TRAININGS

Store owners were overwhelmingly receptive to receiving in-store trainings on how to introduce and maintain healthy changes and increase their business skills through professional development.

• Over 480 hours of training were provided to store owners with the average training taking about 40 minutes

• 80% of stores received at least one training

• Less than 1% of owners declined a training. (19% of owners were not available)

• The most popular training topics were: » Display techniques (35%) » Promotions and marketing (16%) » Produce handling and storage (11%)

2010–2012 ACCOMPLISHMENTS · 10

630 corner stores

committed to providing healthy food options

Percent of Stores AddingHealthy Products by Category

Store Owners’ Top 3 Training Topics

90% 73% 84% 82%Fruits or

VegetablesLow-Fat

DairyWhole Grain

ProductsHealthy Snacks & Beverages

100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%20% 10%0%

displaytechniques

35%

promotionsand

marketing16%

produce handling and

storage11%

CONVERSIONS

Selected stores utilized basic shelving units and new refrigeration to enhance healthy product offerings including introducing a wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.

• 100 conversions were completed, successfully expanding each store’s inventory of healthy products:

» On average, each store introduced 44 new healthy products as a result of a conversion.

» Fruits and vegetables were the most frequently added products with the average conversion store adding 20 new fruits and vegetables or a cumulative total of over 3,300 fruits and vegetables added across all conversion stores.

FOOD PROCUREMENT

The Healthy Corner Store Initiative provided store owners with new connections to convenient and affordable options to source fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other healthy products.

• 18 suppliers and distributors in Philadelphia were identified as sources of fresh produce and other healthy products for corner stores; stores needing help with sourcing are connected with these providers

• Jetro, a national wholesale cash and carry, agreed to introduce new healthy products and post healthy product identification marketing to direct store owners to healthy products at their warehouse

• As part of the Healthy Corner Store Initiative’s Snackin’ Fresh youth program, youth leaders provided fresh produce from their urban gardens to nearby corner stores

10044

18

corner stores

new healthy products were introduced at each store on average

fresh produce and healthy product

suppliers and distributors were

identified in Philadelphia

received conversions to expand each store’s inventory of healty products and as a result…

2010–2012 ACCOMPLISHMENTS · 11

Challenges and Identified Solutions

1. Identifying corner stores. It can be difficulat to identify corner stores because there is no universal definition

for corner stores. Available sources, such as SNAP and WIC lists or commercial data, do not specify businesses as corner stores and can be inaccurate or outdated. As a result, project staff used a list of SNAP- and WIC-certified corner stores as a guide along with street canvassing to locate corner stores throughout the city. This method proved very effective at identifying and qualifying businesses as corner stores and also was an opportunity for project staff to become familiar with communities throughout Philadelphia.

2. Language and cultural barriers. The majority of corner store owners in Philadelphia speak Spanish as their first language. The ability to speak Spanish and understand Latin American cultures is important for project staff in order to effectively communicate and build relationships with store owners. All corner store staff are bilingual and are either from a Latin American country or have lived in one for an extended period of time. This helped to immediately establish a connection with store owners and was critical to explaining the details of the program, providing trainings and implementing store conversions.

3. Providing trainings. Store owners often work seven days a week and have very limited free time. Originally, trainings were to be provided in a group setting; however, store owners were not able to or interested in receiving these types of trainings. Instead, project staff provided one-on-one trainings with owners in their stores. This proved more effective, as staff could provide more hands-on training with owners who could directly see and practice the new skills while they were learning them.

4. Ownership turnover. Corner stores frequently change ownership, which can make sustaining healthy changes in stores difficult. The program was designed to anticipate this challenge. Stores are regularly visited once every six weeks to three months. If a store changes ownership, the new owners are enrolled in the program and provided trainings to make sure they can continue to successfully sell healthy products. Additionally, even in cases of ownership turnover, once a store begins to stock healthy products and has designated equipment from them, owners tend to continue to stock those healthy items.

CHALLENGES AND IDENTIFIED SOLUTIONS · 12

“The more healthy foods I add, the

healthier my customers eat. When I first

came here five years ago, whole wheat

bread didn’t sell. Now, it’s going good,

going better than white bread. People

are asking for 1% and 2% milk. That

never happened before.”�

- Ramon Fernandez, owner, Christian Food Market

Lessons Learned

1. Build relationships with owners. Building relationshipswith store owners can help them feel supported and provides an opportunity to better understand the owners’ needs and concerns. Corner stores are businesses and need to make money. It is important to position healthy products as a strategy for increasing profits. By working with the owner to understand the store’s particular customer base and operations, project staff are able to help owners decide which products would work best for the store and determine what additional support may be needed to ensure success.

2. Start small. Small, gradual changes help store owners adjust to the demands of selling perishable inventory and enables project staff to gauge the store owner’s level of commitment to making and maintaining the changes, while also building a relationship.

3. Phase activities. Phasing activities allows time for building relationships with the store owners to gain trust and gauge their level of commitment for making and maintaining changes. It also provides time for owners to adjust to a more demanding inventory. Since many store owners lack the knowledge and skills to sell perishable items, The Food Trust provides extensive education and technical assistance.

4. Make it easy. A common barrier for corner store owners is that they do not know where to start; introducing new inventory and taking on new risk can be daunting and discourage owners. Providing owners with a simple, easy-to-follow plan makes it more likely that owners will introduce new products. Marketing materials help to make owners feel more confident that customers will notice the changes and buy the new products.

5. Provide support. In addition to a simple plan and marketing, store owners may need training and support to ensure changes are profitable and sustainable. Based on inventory introduced, staff assessments and owner feedback, a customized training plan can be developed to target each owner’s unique needs. This also reinforces that the project is working to support the owner and ensure changes are profitable.

6. Collaborate with others. Reaching out to and engaging local organizations to raise awareness and combine resources can help create larger and more sustainable changes in the communities. Since April 2010, the project reached out to over 30 neighborhood and citywide organizations (Appendix F) to determine areas for collaboration and ways to enhance corner store and community efforts.

LESSONS LEARNED · 13

Summary of Lessons Learned

1. Build relationships with owners.

2. Start small.

3. Phase activities.

4. Make it easy.

5. Provide support.

6. Collaborate with others.

Moving forward, the top priorities for the Healthy Corner Store Initiative are to:1. Help stores maintain and expand healthy changes.2. Provide customers with information they need to make healthy choices.3. Develop new methods to evaluate efficacy of the intervention.

STRATEGIES FOR CONTINUED GROWTH

The following strategies will help support stores, increase customer demand and improve evaluation:

• Develop standards and policy vehicle for a voluntary Healthy Corner Store Certification program, which will include basic standards for minimum staple goods that a store must carry in order to be considered adequate. Using the corner store product menu as a foundation (Appendix B), the standards will require more inventory, and will introduce new pricing and promotion requirements and will include incentives for participation. The standards will also focus on decreasing the promotion of tobacco products

• Provide continued support and training to store owners on procuring and handling fresh produce, modifying store layouts and improving business options to ensure profitability of healthy products and overall vitality of corner stores

• Through funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, support conversions in an additional 200 corner stores in Philadelphia to increase the stores’ capacity to sell fresh produce and other healthy perishables

• Implement major conversions in five corner stores to dramatically expand sales of healthy offerings and serve as successful operating models to instruct and inspire other corner store owners

• Transform corner stores into community assets that not only offer affordable, nutritious food, but also provide store-based nutrition education and promotional activities to make healthy choices fun and easy

• Evaluate the use of point of sale (POS) systems in corner stores as a ground-breaking new research method that, for the first time, will provide real-time data on customers’ purchases of healthy and less healthy products in corner stores and the efficacy of interventions designed to increase the sales of healthy products

CITATIONS

1. Lucan AA. Storing Empty Calories and Chronic Disease Risk: Snack-Food Products, Nutritive Content, and Manufacturers in Philadelphia Corner Stores. Journal of Urban Health, , 2010, 87 (3): 394-409.

2. Foster GD, Sherman S, Borradaile KE, Grundy KM, Vander Veur SS, Nachmani J, Karpyn A, Kumanyika S, Shults J. A Policy-Based School Intervention to Prevent Overweight and Obesity Pediatrics. 2008;121:e794-e802.

3. Borradaile K, Sherman S, Vander Veur S, McCoy T, Sandoval B, Nachmani J, Karpyn A, Foster G. (2009) “Snacking in Children: the Role of Urban Corner Stores.” Pediatrics; published online October 12, 2009. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009-0964.

“Before we had bananas and onions;

that was about it. Now the store has

a produce section and business has

increased by 40%.”�

- Juan Carlos Romano, owner, Romano’s Grocery Store

On the Horizon

ON THE HORIZON · 14

APPENDIX A: RECRUITMENT MATERIALS

Recruitment Postcard Recruitment materials were used in the initial store recruitment effort to provide owners with information on program purpose, requirements and benefits of participation. The postcard at left outlined the recruitment pitch with this basic information.

Product Menu Stores are required to introduce a total of four new products with at least two healthy products in at least two food categories. The product menu outlines allowable food categories and the nutrition standards the new products must meet.

APPENDIX B: PRODUCT MENU

Appendices

APPENDICES · 15

APPENDIX C: HEALTHY FOOD IDENTIFICATION MARKETING CAMPAIGN

LogosLogos were designed for Get Healthy Philly and the Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store Network for use on marketing and promotional materials.

Member Store DecalParticipating stores display this decal on store doors or windows.

APPENDICES · 16

Shelf Banner and Shelf TalkersThe shelf banner and shelf talkers are used throughout the store, in English, Spanish or Korean, to help customers make healthier purchasing decisions. Target categories for the shelf talkers include fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meat, beverages and healthy snacks. The shelf talkers use a traffic light concept to identify healthy and unhealthy options. • Green (Go): healthiest foods, enjoy any time• Yellow (Caution): somewhat healthy foods, enjoy a few times a week• Red (Stop & Think): least healthy foods, enjoy once in awhile

Refrigeration SignA sign was designed for the top of the refrigerator for stores receiving conversions to draw attention to the healthy options.

Approved Item MagnetA magnet was designed for use in Jetro’s warehouse to identify healthy products that meet the requirements of the Healthy Corner Store Initiative.

NON-LEAN MEATsteak, ground beef, poultry with skin

LEAN & LOW-FATfish, poultry, eggs, beef, pork

PROCESSED MEATShigh-sodium/high-fat meats— bacon, deli meat, sausage

CANNED/FROZENFRUITS & VEGGIESlight syrup or less than 290mg sodium

FRESH FRUITS & VEGGIES

CANNED/FROZENFRUITS & VEGGIESheavy syrup or more than 290mg sodium

WHOLE MILK/SUGAR ADDEDmilk, yogurt, cheese

NON-FAT, SKIM OR 1% LOW-FATmilk, yogurt, cheese

HIGH-FATcream, butter, ice cream, cream cheese

REFINED/WHOLE GRAINwhole grain not listed as the first ingredient

WHOLE GRAINSwhole grain listed as the first ingredient — pasta, rice, bread, flour

WHITE/REFINEDwhole grain not listed as an ingredient

LOW-SODIUMcanned beans — less than 290mg

NO SODIUM ADDEDdry beans, nuts, seeds, tofu

HIGH-SODIUMcanned beans — more than 290mg

GOhealthiest foods:enjoy any time

Let thecolors

be yourguideto healthy

eating!

CAUTIONsomewhat healthyfoods: enjoy a few

times a week

STOP& THINK

least healthy foods:enjoy once in a while

THIS

STO

RE IS A MEMBER!

Made possible by funding from the Department of Health and Human Services and Get Healthy Philly,an initiative of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

APPROVEDITEMYour NeighborhoodCorner Store. Healthier.

APPROVEDITEMYour NeighborhoodCorner Store. Healthier.

Get Healthy Philly!

LESS OFTENsoda, fruit drinks, sport drinks, iced tea,lemonade

SOMETIMES100% juice, diet drinks, low-fat chocolate milk

ALWAYSno sugar added,water, fat-free or 1% low-fat milk

APPENDICES · 17

Get Healthy! CardsThe Get Healthy! cards, available in English and Spanish, provide customers with easy tips for shopping, eating and living healthy. Cards are displayed in participating corner stores and are free for customers to take.

Corner Store Recipe CardsCorner store recipe cards, available in English or Spanish, were designed to provide customers with healthy recipes that feed a family of four for under five dollars with ingredients that can be purchased at healthy corner stores. Recipe cards are displayed in stores near healthy products and are free for customers to take.

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES SERVES 4

Lettuce Leaf Burritos with Tropical Salsa

NUTRITION FACTS serving size: 7 filled leaves

138 Calories

6g Fat

0g Saturated Fat

15mg Sodium

23g Carbohydrates

6g Fiber

3g Protein

Prep the ingredients and let the kids fill the wraps!

4. Mix pineapple, onion, tomato, lemon juice and seasonings. Add to each lettuce leaf.

MIX IT UP! • Skip the lettuce leaf and roll it up in a whole wheat tortilla. Substitute mango for the pineapple. Add brown rice or cooked sliced chicken breast to the lettuce wraps. Add a can of no salt added beans (drained and rinsed). • Use spicy peppers instead of green peppers.• Add chopped cilantro to the salsa.

FRESH FROM THE FARM!Find local lettuce May through November, local tomatoes May until the end of October, local onions mid-July until November and local peppers July until October.

Made possible by funding fromthe USDA Community Food Project and the Department of Health and Human Services and Get Healthy

Philly, an initiative of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

Copyright by The Food Trust 2012. This project was funded under a contract with the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

INGREDIENTS:1 head lettuce (Romaine or Iceberg)1 avocado, halved and pitted½ medium green pepper, chopped1 15.5-oz can pineapple in its own juices or light syrup, drained1 medium onion, chopped3 medium tomatoes, diced or 1 15.5-oz can chopped no salt added tomatoes1 teaspoon lemon or lime juiceSalt and pepper to taste (optional)

GET COOKING!1. Wash and separate lettuce leaves. Keep the larger leaves to be used as burrito shells.2. Chop remaining lettuce. 3. Placed chopped lettuce, avocado and green peppers in whole lettuce leaves.Continued on back…

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES SERVES 4

Lettuce Leaf Burritos with Tropical Salsa

NUTRITION FACTS serving size: 7 filled leaves

138 Calories

6g Fat

0g Saturated Fat

15mg Sodium

23g Carbohydrates

6g Fiber

3g Protein

Prep the ingredients and let the kids fill the wraps!

4. Mix pineapple, onion, tomato, lemon juice and seasonings. Add to each lettuce leaf.

MIX IT UP! • Skip the lettuce leaf and roll it up in a whole wheat tortilla. Substitute mango for the pineapple. Add brown rice or cooked sliced chicken breast to the lettuce wraps. Add a can of no salt added beans (drained and rinsed). • Use spicy peppers instead of green peppers.• Add chopped cilantro to the salsa.

FRESH FROM THE FARM!Find local lettuce May through November, local tomatoes May until the end of October, local onions mid-July until November and local peppers July until October.

Made possible by funding fromthe USDA Community Food Project and the Department of Health and Human Services and Get Healthy

Philly, an initiative of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

Copyright by The Food Trust 2012. This project was funded under a contract with the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

INGREDIENTS:1 head lettuce (Romaine or Iceberg)1 avocado, halved and pitted½ medium green pepper, chopped1 15.5-oz can pineapple in its own juices or light syrup, drained1 medium onion, chopped3 medium tomatoes, diced or 1 15.5-oz can chopped no salt added tomatoes1 teaspoon lemon or lime juiceSalt and pepper to taste (optional)

GET COOKING!1. Wash and separate lettuce leaves. Keep the larger leaves to be used as burrito shells.2. Chop remaining lettuce. 3. Placed chopped lettuce, avocado and green peppers in whole lettuce leaves.Continued on back…

whole grains

Look for whole grains.

The word whole should be before the first ingredient.

Look for at least 3 grams of fiber.

Whole grains provide fiber,vitamins and minerals for good health.

Let the colors be your guide:

Whole grains are not listed as the first ingredient

Whole grains are not listed as an ingredient

Whole grains are listed as the first ingredient

Make at least half your grains whole. Shopping List:Whole wheat breadWhole grain cerealBrown riceOatmealPopcornWhole wheat crackersWhole wheat tortillasWhole wheat pastaCornmealBarley

whole grains

Look for whole grains.

The word whole should be before the first ingredient.

Look for at least 3 grams of fiber.

Whole grains provide fiber,vitamins and minerals for good health.

Let the colors be your guide:

Whole grains are not listed as the first ingredient

Whole grains are not listed as an ingredient

Whole grains are listed as the first ingredient

Make at least half your grains whole. Shopping List:Whole wheat breadWhole grain cerealBrown riceOatmealPopcornWhole wheat crackersWhole wheat tortillasWhole wheat pastaCornmealBarley

Sample card

Sample card

APPENDICES · 18

Sell Healthy! GuideThe Sell Healthy! guide provides store owners with information on how to sell healthy foods, increase profits and attract more customers. Participating stores are given this guide as part of the trainings they receive.

Products & Displays • 5

What to Stock in Your Healthy Refrigerator

Water

100% juice

Non-fat, skim or 1% milk

Low-fat string cheese

Eggs

Greens (spinach, lettuce and collard greens)

Low-fat yogurt

Fruit salads and garden salads

Apples and oranges

RefrigeratorDisplay

Bring attention to healthy snacks, beverages and fresh produce with

an attractive refrigerator display.

Place healthy beverages, fruit salads

and yogurts on top shelves.

Clearly mark fresh produce and sale items

with bright price cards.

Place fresh produce

on middle shelves.

Place heavy items on the bottom shelf.

6

Sample page

APPENDICES · 19

APPENDIX D: STORE CONVERSION POTENTIAL RATING CRITERIA

As part of the initial enrollment into the program, a store’s potential to possibly receive a customized conversion is assessed. A store’s potential is rated on a scale of 1 to 5, one being low and five being high. These ratings are used to help identify potential conversion stores; stores with higher ratings are more likely to receive a conversion. Stores with lower rankings can earn a higher rating if they make significant healthy changes and demonstrate a commitment to the program.

Rating Criteria

Store Location and Food Traffic

Is the store located at a busy intersection or near public transportation?

Is the store near other businesses, schools or other public buildings?

Is the store busy? Does there seem to be a lot of foot traffic?

Store Maintenance and Feel

Does the store appear to be clean and well maintained (even if equipment, windows, etc. are old)?

Is the inventory organized and well stocked?

Does the store have employees? Are they active and working or seem to be just hanging out?

Does the store give you a positive feeling or impression? Would you be willing to shop there?

Store Space and Inventory

Does there seem to be any open shelf space? Or with layout changes does it have the capacity to accommodate additional inventory?

Does the store have additional deli infrastructure (i.e. display food warmer, water ice displays)? (This can show a store’s investment in prepared foods and willingness to commit to a more demanding inventory.)

Owner’s Knowledge and Attitude

Do the owner and/or staff positively engage their customers?

Does the owner express an interest in providing healthier options for the community?

Does the owner believe that selling healthy products will be successful?

Is the owner excited or interested in the idea of receiving equipment and training to sell healthy products?

Does the owner seem to have a good understanding of the business, its customers and exhibit some basic business management capabilities?

HCSI Y2 REPORT · 20

APPENDIX E: CUSTOMIZED MINI-CONVERSION INFRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES

The below equipment menu outlines the standard equipment that most stores receive as part of their customized mini-conversions. A customized conversion package is developed for each store based on each store’s unique needs and often included one or more of the items below.

Product

Commercial Grade Wire Shelving

72 H X 36 W X 16 D This shelving will be used with produce baskets to create a produce display in corner stores

Single Door Refrigerator

23 cubic feetThis will be used to store produce and other healthy items that need to be refrigerated

Produce Scale

Digi DS-781Scales will be used to weigh out customers’ produce at register

Produce Basket

Sign Options

Additional options are available for all items. Prices may vary.

Price

$67

$1,290

$235

$8–$12

$5–$12

APPENDICES · 21

Community Organization Collaboration Areas

11th Street Family Health Services of Drexel University Awareness

African Family Health Organization Recruitment, Awareness, Education

Allegheny West Foundation Recruitment, Resources

Cardenas Grant Communications Awareness, Promotion

Centro Nueva Creacion Awareness, Education

City Year Young Heroes Program Awareness, Promotion

Diversified Community Services - Point Breeze Recruitment

Dominican Grocers Association Recruitment, Training

East Park Revitalization Alliance Food Procurement, Training

Entrepreneur Works Resources

Esperanza Health Center Education, Recruitment

Finanta Recruitment, Resources

Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation Recruitment, Resources

Frankford Community Development Corporation Recruitment, Resources

Kensington Food Co-op Food Procurement

Nelson Playground Education, Gardening

New Kensington CDC Recruitment, Training

Norris Square Civic Association Awareness, Education, Gardening

Norris Square Neighborhood Project Awareness, Education

Norris Square Senior Citizen Center Awareness

North 5th Street Revitalization Project - Korean CDC Recruitment

People's Emergency Center Recruitment, Resources

Philadelphia Department of Commerce Awareness, Recruitment, Resources

Philadelphia Orchard Project Gardening

Sayre Medical Center Education, Recruitment, Training

Tacony Community Development Corporation Recruitment

Teens 4 Good Gardening, Youth Leadership

The Enterprise Center Resources, Training, Youth Entrepreneurship

The Franklin Institute Awareness

Weaver's Way Gardening, Youth Entrepreneurship

Women’s Community Revitalization Project Awareness, Education, Promotion, Procurement

APPENDIX F: COMMUNITY PARTNERS & COLLABORATION

One of the goals of the Healthy Corner Store Initiative is to link corner stores with the communities around them to promote healthy changes among residents and community organizations. By promoting store changes and engaging the community throughout the process, community awareness and participation in healthy changes can help drive traffic to the healthy stores to help ensure long-term success. Below is a list of organizations that have been reached out to and areas for collaboration that were identified.

APPENDICES · 22

APPENDIX G: MEDIA AND PRESS

Philadelphia Using Stimulus Funds to Fight Obesity, Smoking. Philadelphia Inquirer. July 5, 2010.

Cornering the Market. WHYY FIT Radio. January 7, 2011.

Corner Stores Take a Healthy Turn. Voices of America – International. January 26, 2011.

Snack Attack in Philly Corner Stores. Philadelphia Weekly. February 21, 2011.

Fresh Produce on Every Corner. BioCycle Magazine. February 2010.

Philadelphia School Battles Students’ Bad Eating Habits, On Campus and Off. New York Times. March 17, 2011.

Go Philly! New York Times. April 5, 2011.

Strawberry Mansion: Philly Fights Childhood Obesity. Philadelphia Neighborhoods. April 12, 2011.

Freshening the Food Supply in Minority Communities. Black Voice News.com. May 2, 2011.

Healthy Options for All Income Levels. Convenience Store Decisions. May 31, 2011.

Rising To the Challenge. CSP Magazine. June 2011.

Forward Motion. Arrive Magazine. June/July 2011.

Bringing Healthy Foods to Corner Stores. NakedPhilly.com. June 21, 2001.

Corner Stores Bring Healthy Food to the Masses. Philadelphia Daily News. July 29, 2011 .

Snack Attack. PhillyCAM. July 2011.

Bringing Legislators to the Table: Addressing Hunger Through Public-Private Partnerships. National Conference of State Legislators. August 2011.

Healthy Food Healthy Communities: Promising Strategies to Improve Access to Fresh Healthy Food and Transform Communities. PolicyLink. August 2011.

Model for Your Community: Spotlight on the Healthy Corner Store Initiative. Green For All. September 2011.

Corner Stores Push Fruits & Veggies Over Candy & North Philly Kids Go for It. Philadelphia Daily News. September 03, 2011.

A Nourishing Environment . Philadelphia Inquirer. January 1, 2012.

Small Steps in a Food Desert. Chicago News Cooperative. February 8th, 2012.

How About a Nice Fresh Orange to Go With Your Cheetos? New York Times. February 12th, 2012.

Tiny Mouths, Huge Voices. CRED Magazine. March 2012.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Americans are fat because they cannot buy healthy food. Aftonbladet (Sweden). March 17, 2012.

Can neighborhood corner stores improve public health? Newsworks (WHYY). March 20, 2012.

In Germantown, a corner store as an engine of economic development. Newsworks (WHYY). March 21, 2012.

Hunting Park: Healthy Corner Store Initiative Improves Local Food Options. Philly Neighborhoods. April 23, 2012.

What Will Make the Food Desert Bloom? NPR - The Salt. May 1, 2012.

Will Philadelphia’s experiment in eradicating ‘food deserts’ work? The Washington Post. June 8th, 2012.

APPENDICES · 23

Copyright The Food Trust 2012

Contact

Brianna Almaguer SandovalSenior Associate, Healthy Corner Store InitiativeThe Food Trust215.575.0444 Ext. 130bsandoval@thefoodtrust.org

Allison Karpyn, Ph.D.Director of Research and EvaluationThe Food Trust215-575-0444 Ext. 119akarpyn@thefoodtrust.org

Jennifer Aquilante, MPH RDNutrition Coordinator, Get Healthy PhillyPhiladelphia Department of Public Health1101 Market St, 9th floorPhiladelphia, PA 19107215-685-5250jennifer.aquilante@phila.gov

For more information or to access materials seen in the appendices, visit: www.foodfitphilly.org/eat-health/healthy-corner-stores

CONTACT · 24

“So many of the foods I sell here are

for soup, West Africans, Latinos, Middle

Easterners—everyone eats soup, soup,

soup! This was a struggle when I

opened three years ago. Now, people

come here from all over the community

because they really want this food.”�

- Seydoh Dao, owner, K&D International Market